It’s a step in the right direction.
That’s how California Faculty Association President SusanMeisenhelder feels about the tentative three-year contract agreementreached between the CFA and the CSU system two weeks ago.
After a year of frigid negotiations, the two groups ended debateand the faculty threat of strike against the system.
“We did achieve great things in this contract, it’s important torecognize that,” Meisenhelder said in a phone interview with CSUstudent journalists yesterday. “But there still is a lot of work tobe done.”
The contract provides a 2 percent raise for faculty each of thefirst two years, effective in June. Eligible faculty will receive2.65 percent salary step increases each of the three years. Lecturersalso received some health benefits.
Meisenhelder said she was satisfied with CSU’s agreement toconduct 1,200 searches for tenure-track faculty and job security forpart-time employees.
What the contract is missing is an attempt to close the salary gapbetween CSU faculty and faculty at other comparable institutions, shesaid. According to a report released by the California PostsecondaryEducation Commission, there is a 10.9 percent gap between the twogroups.
“There is some long-term work that needs to be done to get the CSUsalary to a competitive level,” Meisenhelder said.
Meisenhelder acknowledged that the salary money is allocated notby the CSU system, but by the state legislature. This year is alsodifficult for the state because of the slowed economy.
Clara Potes-Fellow, CSU spokesperson, said the system is dedicatedto improving the salary of faculty and staff, which is why thecampuses lobbied for a 6 percent raise for faculty when state budgetplanning began.
“It appears as if the union is trying to show that the CSU is nottrying to work with them and provide the best benefits forprofessors,” she said. “I think that’s a distortion.”
Meisenhelder also hopes the next contract will address a reductionin faculty workload.
“Teaching load is a real problem when we try to recruit newfaculty,” Meisenhelder said.
According to a survey conducted by a professor at CSU San Marcos,faculty workload has remained constant over the past decade. Thesurvey states that tenured and tenure-track faculty members workabout 50 hours per week, which is up by about two hours from 1990.
The CFA is also launching a student intern program next year toget additional students more involved with their education.
Meisenhelder said students became an important part of thenegotiation process and this new program will help facilitateinvolvement.
The program will place at least one student from each of the 23CSU campuses in the trenches alongside union leaders, brainstormingwith members and organizing campaigns. Interns will also help educateorganizations on their campus about issues affecting collegestudents.
“Having student support and having students know what’s going onis important for the success of the CSU,” Meisenhelder said.
The initiative will be known as the “Tim Sampson Memorial StudentIntern Program” in honor of the San Francisco State professor whodied of cancer in December. Sampson was a long-time CFA leader whoworked closely with students, Meisenhelder said.
“We are proud to put his name on the program to honor him and hiswork with students,” she said. “It symbolizes our commitment.”
Union members at each campus are voting on the contract thismonth. The CSU board of trustees also will consider the proposedcontract, but will not vote until mid-May.
